LeBron James Offended the Nets With Contraction Talk

That big meanie LeBron. He hurt the feelings of a few New Jersey Nets employees by talking about something he (supposedly) didn’t even know the meaning of. Heady times we live in, friends. From the NY Daily News: “That an NBA player wouldn’t know the dreaded C-word – which would result in lost jobs on several levels across the league – was a surprise to Nets guard Devin Harris, who was singled out by James as a player who could help the NBA by playing elsewhere. Like most union members, Harris said he’s against contraction. The league is reportedly pushing contraction in its collective bargaining negotiations. ‘For him to talk about us specifically, it was a little offensive,’ Harris said yesterday. ‘But from a business standpoint, to know what’s best – we’re still trying to figure this out. But I think he’s of the mind-set of, ‘Oh, let’s team up everybody as stars and kind of duke it out, which, it kind of was like that in previous eras. But who is to say what’s best for the league now?’ Harris’ response was less confrontational than what Avery Johnson dished out. When asked Sunday about James’ statements on contraction, the Nets coach took a shot at James’ team, the Miami Heat, by saying, ‘I disagree. Maybe the league would be better off without three stars on one team.'”